Kristjan Jarvi collaborates with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra for a concert at the Shanghai Symphony Hall.

ESTONIAN-BORN American conductor Kristjan Jarvi was happy visiting his favorite city, Shanghai, again last week.

Instead of letting his Shanghai friends take him on tour of the city, the 45-year-old musician wandered around in downtown with another Estonian composer at midnight last Thursday. The two walked into a little restaurant all by themselves.

“It was exciting. We cannot speak Chinese, and nobody in the restaurant spoke English. But we managed to order some very delicious foods,” says Jarvi. “It was so cool.”

As a gift to the city he adores, Jarvi premiered his new work “ShANgHAi Wonder” last Saturday with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Shanghai Symphony Hall. The Estonian National Male Choir and Shanghai Opera House Female Choir were part of it, too.

Other programs included Peeter Vahi’s “In the Mystical Land of Kaydara” and Jacques Ibert’s Flute Concerto.

“‘ShANgHAi Wonder’ is a piece based on my own feelings of the city. It encapsulates the 24 hours of Shanghai from dawn to the midnight,” says Jarvi.

Born into an Estonian music family, who immigrated to the US when he was seven years old, Jarvi grew up in New York City and began his music education early.

Credited as one of the canniest and most innovative programmers on the classical scene, Jarvi is known for his pioneering ideas in classic music. As a recording artist, Jarvi’s works range from Hollywood soundtracks such as “Cloud Atlas” and “Hunger Games” to award-winning albums on Sony and Chandos, to his eponymous series on renowned French Label Naïve Classique.

Q: What inspired you to compose “ShANgHAi Wonder?”

A: Shanghai is the first Chinese city that I ever performed and stayed in. Though I had a very bad case of poisoning here after drinking water from the tap, I was fascinated by the city. It is incredible. This is the place where you can always find something fun.

Michele Gordon has a piece “Beijing Harmony,” which I premiered in Beijing. It suddenly occurred to me that I should write something for Shanghai which has been so inspiring for me.

After our last concert in Shanghai, I took a break in Florida which gave me an opportunity to sum up my experiences. During that time, I wrote this short piece that reflects the mystery and wonder that I saw in this city. Ancient, new, international but Chinese, with lots of color, sights and smells. And above all vibrancy filled with creativity and a hope that I think every person in the world yearns for — something new and incredible — a wonder! One can imagine this any way he wants, but I see it almost as a 24-hour loop starting in the morning. It is like a ball rolling, which then can’t be stopped. The capitalization of the name “ShANgHAi” outlines a name of the person to whom this piece is dedicated to. It is also the skyline of the city that I like so much.

Q: How is Shanghai different from other big cities?

A: Shanghai is quite a counterpart to New York, Berlin and London, yet it is a Chinese city as well. It embraces both exotic and Chinese culture perfectly.

In “ShANgHAi Wonder,” you will find everything from classic music to pop, rock, minimalism and traditional Chinese music, just like what Shanghai is.

I have a dream to set up a city partnership between Shanghai and Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. Tallinn only has 500,000 people, but it is a forward-thinking and tolerant city just like Shanghai. It is like a miniature of Shanghai.

Q: Do you think traveling helps explore possibilities in music?

A: Yes. Everything in life is inspired, including travel. When traveling, you will meet different people and get to know different cultures. It gives you new energy. Of course, artists are not professional travelers. They cannot see that much, but they can still get a taste of something in the journey. It is all about experiences. I like it, and I am always ready for my next experience.

Life is not worth living if you don’t really experience. There must be a purpose for getting up every morning. If you get up and do something, do it with a purpose. Don’t do it because everybody else does this. You do it as you want to make an impact that will make everything better. That’s why I am here, to learn and experience.

Q: What have you learnt here in China?

A: I am a strong believer in “I Ching” (Book of Changes) as well as some other ancient Chinese wisdom. They have been part of my life since my first relationship with a Taiwanese girl. It is a guide to your own inner universe.

Celebration of the Nordic Spirit. Electric Sounds, Folk remixes and Urban Beats
The Absolute Ensemble lead by eclectic Estonian conductor and producer Kristjan Järvi gets together with HAUSCHKA and Folk Music Star Maarja Nuut to revive the Nordic Spirit in a unique Music Show.
In celebration of Nordic cultures, their connection to the purity of nature, creativity of culture and progressiveness of society, “Lost Tribes” promotes the musical heritage of the Finno-Ugric Tribes and interprets them into a modern Sound.
In combination of the Absolute Ensemble´s fusion of rock, big band and acoustic sound mixed with urban electronics, Hauschka adds his prepared Piano Sound on top of Maarja Nuut´s hypnotic looped folk fiddling and singing that will put you into a trance.
Music By: Hauschka, Maarja Nuut, Gene Pritsker and Kristjan Järvi
Visuals by: Graham Elliott (http://opticnerveusa.tv/)

ABENDGLÜHEN is the first song of Sven’s upcoming album I EAT THE SUN AND DRINK THE RAIN. Visual artist Sebastian Linda created a beautiful clip for it.

The 3 times-web-video-price winner works with Sven for the second time.
The album will be out September 9th on the new Berlin based label NEUE MEISTER and features Vocalconsort Berlin, conducted by Kristjan Järvi.
Video: bit.ly/2bJwzzC

After Parrallel Tones, the Next Kristjan Järvi Sound Project CD is being launched this September. Right before the Baltic Sea Philharmonic hits off its next tour “Baltic Sea Discovery” on September 15 in Lithuania through Russia, Poland, Denmark and Germany, the CD takes the listener into Wagner´s world. A discovery of its own, to experience the different aspects and enter the magical world that Wagner felt in those Landscapes. The Ochestral Adventure is a way to experience the Ring in a new way, without voices.

STEVE REICH DUET
In celebration of Steve Reich´s 80th Birthday, the “Kristjan Järvi Sound Project” releases one of the most special collaborations Kristjan experienced the past years. During Steve Reich´s “Artist in Residence” period at the MDR in Leipzig, they created this special recordings working cloesely together. This collaboration lead to this unique double CD “Reich Duet”, which also resembles two artists who themselves became a duo on many artitic levels.
Find below the statements of the Artists:
Quote Steve Reich:
Thank you Kristjan Jarvi and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony & Chorus for such an accurately detailed, emotionally charged double album. You Are (Variations) and Daniel Variations are two of the best pieces I have ever written and now, more listeners can hear them in extraordinarily beautiful performances. There are other great performances here as well. Take a listen.
Steve Reich
Quote Kristjan:
“Duet” is Steve Reich and Kristjan Järvi on two discs: with two pairs of hands clapping; two Violins playing; two ensembles in two pieces of Variations; two pianos; two keyboards surrounded by Four Sections of strings, percussion, woodwinds and brass celebrating Steve Reich’s 80th!
Building a numerological pyramid of sorts, 2.4.80.4.2 – As Steve said to me ” the math makes sense,” is not the only aim of this Kristjan Järvi Sound Project release, but With this 80th Birthday album we celebrate a composer who changed the course of music yes, but also a humanist and a protagonist for everything positive and good that there is and can be achieved and created by us the human race on this earth of ours: A celebration of humanity and a creation of it.
From the 60’s to now, from analogue tape looping in the pieces like “Come Out,” to phasing in “Drumming,” to hip hop and rap sampling in “City Life,” to use of Radio Head’s songs in “Radio Re-Write,” there is no one to me that is more influential and visionary in music of all genres yet hip with the times and way ahead of the curve than Steve Reich. His ceaseless creativity is far beyond “far reaching” it is mind and body altering. In fact, altering the historical application of music in proportions that people may not even realize and only a handful of people can claim. Whether you are a DJ, Rock or Pop artist, Jazz, Classical, Ambient, Electronica musician or an avant-garde modernist, or not even a musician. Steve Reich has probably had an impact. Creating music with pieces of wood, simply clapping with bare hands or complex electronics, Steve says with all of his inventions that music is an inherent part of our being, it is a movement and a motion that awakens us, gives the light to our soul and is the bond of humanity.
It is not a coincidence that the title piece “Duet” is written for Sir Yehudi Menuhin for his 80th birthday and is now part of this 80th celebration: two incredible force of nature with a thirst for diversity to create unity. Commissioned by the Gstaad Festival “Duet” connects many things for me and is another reason for this album being called “Duet.” I see piece in a way as a door into Steve’s soul which then is followed by the rest of him. It is a beautiful conversation and has all the hallmark’s of Steve; pulsation and counterpoint that takes us into an unmistakable harmonic world on a real life journey of tension, radiance, and beauty mixed with concern. As with most of Steve’s pieces hopefulness of humanity triumph in the end!
This album is a result of a three year project that started with Steve’s residency as “composer in residence”, The first ever with an orchestra, here in Leipzig with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2013/14 season. At that time, we premiered the orchestra-chorus versions of “Daniel” and “YouAre Variations”, of which these are the world premiere recordings, as well as performing the largest of his orchestral works “Desert Music”, “4 Sections”, and “Three Movements” with concerts in Leipzig, Dresden and Paris. The Paris concert can be seen online on MediciTV “live” from Salle Pleyel.
The first disc is of Live performances at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the second one of Studio recordings of “Daniel” and “YouAre Variations”.
I am truly thankful to Steve for being so hands on in the post production of this album and really taking care in making sure we have the best performances possible. It was very much fun and incredible experience to do “clapping music” with you! I look forward to do it many times again. Every performance of any of your pieces is a revelation to me and probably to every performer and listener alike. Thanks for giving us your music and showing us the light!
With much admiration and love..
Kristjan

Kristjan Järvi and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra host unique encounters between different musical cultures in Leipzig from June 4 to 19.

Since taking up his position as Chief Conductor of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra in the 2012/2013 season, Kristjan Järvi has used his trademark creative energy and versatility to implement a programmatic reorientation of the orchestra, cleverly combining classical tradition with contemporary and less familiar musical cultures. To Järvi the form of the festival, which has the aura of the unique while involving different musical genres and performance venues, is the ideal vehicle for attracting attention within the city and beyond. The current season’s motto, “Go South”, takes the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS to India, Australia and Africa, among others, featuring renowned musical guests and their works.

Launching the festival, Anoushka Shankar, the world’s foremost sitar player and daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, keeps his heritage alive by appearing in concert with the MDR Symphony Orchestra on June 4 at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. Together with the MDR Symphony Orchestra, Anoushka Shankar performs a rarely-played masterwork by her father, the solo concerto for sitar and symphony orchestra Raga Mala which Ravi Shankar first performed with Zubin Mehta in 1981. This concert in Leipzig also features the world premieres of Symphonies No. 1 and 2 by the Indian composer Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma, who has written more than 400 film scores for Bollywood; here he indulges his “classical-western” side.

A chamber music evening at UT Connewitz on June 7 honors the Romanian national composer George Enescu. Compared with Bartók or Stravinsky, his music is still rather undiscovered, despite the fact that Enescu, a fabulous violinist himself, wrote wonderful music especially for strings. Members of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and guests perform George Enescu’s Airs dans le genre roumain for solo violin and his String Octet No. 7, among other works.

The Australian saxophone player Amy Dickson is currently causing a stir all over the world. On June 9 she joins the crew at Werk 2 in Leipzig for a – not exactly brief – musical world tour extending from Georgia via South Africa to Australia. First off, Amy Dickson plays Giya Kancheli’s Night Prayers, originally written for the Norwegian jazz saxophone player Jan Garbarek. No piece could be better for a South African stopover than White Man Sleeps by Kevin Volans. The remaining endless miles in flight will be accompanied by Amy Dickson’s saxophone sounds – appropriately , she has chosen Inflight Entertainment by her Australian compatriot, the composer Graeme Koehne.

At the same time as the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS, Leipzig will witness the great “Bachfest”. Kristjan Järvi and the MDR Symphony Orchestra honor Johann Sebastian Bach’s legacy in a cosmopolitan manner at the Gewandhaus on June 12. Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C-Minor BWV 582 will be played in Leopold Stokowski’s arrangement for symphony orchestra. The Nine Bacchianas by the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos promise infectious groove. The 18-year-old Malaysian pianist and composer Tengku Irkan offers a contemporary homage to Bach with his composition Vivacity, which has its world premiere on this occasion.

The Venezuelan composer Sef Albertz could not avoid Johann Sebastian Bach either. This is demonstrated by a concert with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and the MSL BigBand at the MDR-Würfel at Augustusplatz on June 14. Albertz transforms a Bach Chaconne into a concert piece for piano and orchestra. Another piano concerto by Albertz, performed by soloist Anna-Maria Maak, combines southern temperament with quite a “Bach-like” profundity. Finally, a work commissioned by the MDR for piano, string orchestra and big band features not only the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, but also the MSL BigBand, which brings together young jazz musicians from the Music School Leipzig.

Lukas Ligeti, son of the Hungarian composer Györgi Ligeti, has his very own perspective on the musical present: the son’s passion lies in a fusion of contemporary avant-garde, improvisation and electronics with African traditions. On June 16, Werk 3 in Leipzig witnesses a new, extensive work for orchestra and Burkina Electric, composed by Lukas Ligeti with support from his band colleagues, as well as arrangements of songs from Burkina Electric’s debut CD Paspanga, arranged by Ligeti for the MDR Orchestra and Burkina Electric’s lead singer Mai Lingani.

Another musical innovator celebrates his 80th birthday this year: Steve Reich, one of the fathers of modern musical minimalism. For his homage to Steve Reich, Kristjan Järvi has chosen his vocal composition Tehillim (Hebrew for “Psalm”), performed by the British vocal ensemble Synergy Vocals, contrasting it during the final concert of the FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS at the Gewandhaus on June 19 with a substantial counterweight: Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6.

On the occasion of Reich’s 80th birthday in October, a double CD of his works will be released by Sony Classical.

The successful composer Sven Helbig belongs to a generation for which borders between classical music and pop music no longer exist. “I Eat the Sun and Drink the Rain”, which will soon be debuted by the label Neue Meister, pleads for fair relationship between people and nature. Performed by Vocalconsort Berlin, one of the best and most flexible choirs in Germany, it is a posthumanist manifesto culminating at the time of the end of the machine age. Kristjan Järvi will lead the concert in Berlin.

]]>http://kristjanjarvi.com/i-eat-the-sun-and-drink-the-rain-new-piece-by-sven-helbig/feed/0Kristjan Järvi on tour with the newly founded Baltic Sea Philharmonic (April 15-23)http://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-jarvi-on-tour-with-the-newly-founded-baltic-sea-philharmonic-april-15-23/
http://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-jarvi-on-tour-with-the-newly-founded-baltic-sea-philharmonic-april-15-23/#commentsWed, 13 Apr 2016 15:24:44 +0000http://kristjanjarvi.com/?p=829The tour “Baltic Sea Landscapes” takes the orchestra through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Russia and focuses on nature and the environment. Thus, it features concerts in the Baltic sea ports of Klaipeda, Liepāja and Tallinn as well as Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The tour’s final concert takes place on April 23 at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow, as part of the commemoration of the 125th birthday of composer Sergey Prokofiev.

The musicians of the orchestra, recruited from ten states surrounding the Baltic Sea, dedicate themselves intensively to composers from the Baltic Sea region – from classical masterworks all the way to contemporary commissioned pieces. This is reflected in the tour repertoire, which features Jean Sibelius’ Karelia Suite, Arvo Pärt’s Swansong, Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Gediminas Gelgotas’ Mountains. Waters. (Freedom). The internationally renowned pianist and Prokofiev specialist Alexander Toradze travels with the orchestra as the soloist of the “Baltic Sea Landscapes” tour.

For the Estonian-born Kristjan Järvi, the founding conductor of the youth orchestra Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic, the newly founded sister orchestra Baltic Sea Philharmonic is a dream come true. So far, the upper age limit for the youth orchestra was 25. Now there is an opportunity to work with its alumni as well: “After nine years of developing projects and education programmes, a whole generation of young musicians has been trained to work with the same method and the same approach. It gives us the great chance to be an orchestra that is still young, but not a youth orchestra anymore – a young, motivated, enthusiastic ensemble with the spirit of a youth orchestra,” says Järvi.

]]>http://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-jarvi-on-tour-with-the-newly-founded-baltic-sea-philharmonic-april-15-23/feed/0Kristjan conducts the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britainhttp://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-conducts-the-national-youth-orchestra-of-great-britain/
http://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-conducts-the-national-youth-orchestra-of-great-britain/#commentsWed, 06 Apr 2016 13:41:29 +0000http://kristjanjarvi.com/?p=819Kristjan Järvi’s commitment to working with young musicians brings him for three concerts with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain to UK. Concerts will take place in London, Liverpool and Manchester (April 8 to 10).

Join virtuosic young soloist Chad Hoopes and the young orchestra, for Fire and Blood, a concerto for violin and orchestra by one of America’s greatest composers Michael Daugherty. It’s highly charged music, describing the fiery furnaces of 1930s American car assembly lines, with colourful orchestration and pulsing rhythms.

In contrast Stravinsky’s masterpiece The Firebird is a romantic sparkling fairy-tale ballet based on the Russian legend, weaving human and supernatural worlds, and wonderfully showcasing every instrument in the orchestra.

]]>http://kristjanjarvi.com/kristjan-conducts-the-national-youth-orchestra-of-great-britain/feed/0Gabriela Montero to play World Premiere of “Latin” Concerto at Leipzighttp://kristjanjarvi.com/gabriela-montero-to-play-world-premiere-of-latin-concerto-at-leipzig/
http://kristjanjarvi.com/gabriela-montero-to-play-world-premiere-of-latin-concerto-at-leipzig/#commentsWed, 16 Mar 2016 09:55:46 +0000http://kristjanjarvi.com/?p=787On March 20 Kristjan Järvi & Gabriela Montero with MDR Leipzig Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of the “Latin” Concerto, composed by the pianist at the Gewandhaus Leipzig at 7.30 pm.

The concert will be broadcasted via live stream and on MDR-Klassik radio.